a girl who loves her dog, traveling, food, and writing.

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Happy Friday, I hope everyone had a great week. The weather has been nearly perfect! I’m looking forward to the weekend, maybe go on a little hike or walk by the beach. What are your plans?

Anyway, a company I have worked with before (see from this blogpost)Maple Holistics was generous enough to let me test out their #1 best selling conditioner: Silk 18. I was super excited to see how it smelled and what it could do for my hair.

First off, it smells SO good. I’m a huge fan of vanilla scents, and this conditioner smells like a vanilla cupcake. YUM. I love how soft it leaves my hair feeling after one wash. I’ve used this conditioner for almost 2 weeks, and it’s become apart of my hair routine. I have mentioned before that I like to change up my hair products, and I think this is one you should try!

I like a conditioner that makes my hair shiny, moisturized, smooth, and doesn’t weigh my hair down. I think Silk 18 does a good job of fulfilling my hair needs! It is sulfate free, contains amino acids, argan, shea butter, jojoba, and botanical keratin. I love it! Can I mention that it’s also reallllly affordable?

Make sure to get your free samples here. You can try different products for free, like their tea tree oil, biotin shampoo, and much more.

Happy February! I can’t believe we are in the second month of the new year. Taking five classes this semester is keeping me so busy, time is seriously flying by so quickly! I have such a tight schedule with assignments and readings, it’s non-stop. The weather has been PERFECT these past couple of days. It feels like Spring here in the Bay Area: 70’s and sunny. I am loving every minute of it.

I am sharing the last pictures I have from Maui. I hope you enjoy them!

Haleakala National Park

Wailea

Kaanapali

Maalaea

Maui was incredible. 11 days was the perfect amount of time to relax and explore the island. I cannot wait to go back! I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Happy Friday! I hope everyone is having a better week than I am! I have been having the worst stomach pains these past 3-4 days, so I went to the doctor today… I was told I have gastritis. I’ve been feeling so down, stressed, and overwhelmed because the semester just started & this is something I do not need to deal with right now. I hope the pain goes away in a day or two with the medicine I was prescribed. It’s seriously been the roughest couple of days. NOT HAPPY AT ALL. I’m so confused on how I even got it to begin with…. but enough about that, let’s jump into pretty Maui pictures!

Dexter and I went whale watching, and it was something I’ve been dying to do for so long. When I found out that whale watching season is during Nov-May, I knew we had to go! It was a sunny day, and we were lucky enough to see a lot of whales! Mostly baby calfs & their mothers. We only got one really good picture of a baby calf, because the whales were either too far away, or by the time we got the camera they were gone. Regardless, it was an amazing experience. Since I live close to the coast in California, I want to try going in Monterey or so.

Lahaina Harbor

The Road to Hana

Having drinks at the Four Seasons Resort in Wailea

I have part III coming soon & that’ll be my final Maui series on the blog! I have so many pictures, and I wanted to share as much as I could with you all. Are you planning a trip to Maui? Have any questions to ask me, feel free to leave a comment! Side note: I also have some exciting reviews coming soon… so stay tuned for that! I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

I’m back from vacationing in Maui! I am so happy I got to spend 10 full days relaxing, eating, and exploring. I MISS IT SO MUCH ALREADY.

Some of the highlights of the trip? Whale watching, dinner cruise, seeing sea turtles napping on the beach, and just driving around the island. I’ve got a ton of pictures that I can’t wait to share with you all!

We found these Sea turtles laying on the beach, in Paia. I have never seen a sea turtle before in real life! It was so incredible. The weather was so warm and perfect, in the mid-70’s & low 80’s.

We stayed in multiple locations on the island: Kīhei, Ka’anapali, and Māʻalaea. We did it this way 1) to save money (we used Airb&b the entire time) & 2) we liked to see what each location had to offer. We had such an amazing time, I’ll try and break up the photos by location!

Kīhei:

Upcountry Kula:

The Lavender farm in Kula was beautiful! So many gorgeous flowers and plants… and the views were incredible. On Part 2 of the maui trip I’ll post pictures of Ka’anapali, Lahaina (whale watching), the road to Hana, and more.

As I reflect on 2017, it has been one hell of a year for me. 2017 started off with me leaving to my study abroad program in Paris (Jan-May). I traveled to so many beautiful places in Europe {it truly was a dream come true}. It was my very first time traveling alone, living alone, and focusing entirely on myself. I pushed myself completely out of my comfort zone, and there were many proud moments. I am so grateful for the experiences and life lessons of 2017.

When I got back from Paris (late May), I decided to give love a second chance, after 6 months of being apart. We are making our way to Maui in just a few days, and I’m curious/excited to see where our relationship goes this year.

I’m looking forward to seeing what 2018 holds for me. I know it’s going to be a year full of big changes. I should be graduating college the end of this year, which is something I’m ecstatic/nervous about! It also might be my last year of living in the Bay Area, which is so bittersweet to even think about. Who knows! I’ve noticed you can try to plan.plan.plan every aspect of life out, but most of the time things don’t go as expected {which isn’t always a bad thing}

A goal of 2018 is to travel as much as I can. I know this is so cliché because who DOESN’T want to travel?? Obviously it’s on everyone’s list of things to do! Whether it’s a day trip, weekend trip, or full-blown vacay- I want see new places. My top 3 International picks: Iceland, Greece, Switzerland. My top 3 U.S. cities: South Carolina, Chicago, Maine.

I want to do well in school, and I want to continue my fitness journey. Possibly signing up for spinning classes or barre classes, eat cleaner, and work on my body confidence. Since I have Prolactinoma it’s SO much harder to lose weight. It’s frustrating beyond belief but it’s my reality, sadly. So with that being said, I want to lose a good 20-30 lbs, but I need to continue to search and find what works best for me, since I do have this condition.

I hope everyone had an amazing & safe NYE! I celebrated in SF, had some drinks & watched fireworks from Russian Hill. It was such a nice night. Happy New Year! What is something you’re proud about in 2017? What is something you’re looking forward to in 2018?

I’ll see you guys in a few weeks, going on vacay! Follow my instagram: krystalinthecity for Maui pics!

This past Monday, I went into the city to do some exploring. I love bookmarking restaurants on Yelp, and when I have the time and money- try them. One of the places that’s been on my list for months is LEO’S OYSTER BAR. I was going to try and make a reservation, but didn’t have time to. I think I got pretty lucky since when I got there, the bar was empty. They couldn’t seat me at a table, as they were already booked for people who made prior reservations (keep this in mind if you want to go- I’d say make the reservation especially if it’s more than 2 people!) But since it was just me and my bf, we opted for the bar.

One of the biggest reasons why I wanted to come here was for the atmosphere and aesthetics. (I’m so guilty of this- but I know I’m not the only one!) Who can resist a pretty place? I just love taking pictures of everything! I also really love seafood.

My cocktail was so good, I ordered two! I got the bubble bath {champagne, gin, lavender, citrus and rose} As for food, I got a lobster roll with french fries, and had some oysters.

Next, we went to Union Square. I wanted to see the Christmas tree & decor! I love doing this every year. I normally don’t go to Union Square often since the hustle & bustle tends to stress me out! I like the quieter places in the city, but it’s fun nonetheless.

Last, I went to my favorite patisserie in Hayes Valley. If you’re ever in SF, I highly recommend you go to MIETTE. Their macarons are seriously the best!

I am officially done with fall semester! I finished my last final yesterday, so now it’s time to relax & start reading those books from my WINTER BREAK READING LIST. I passed my Calculus class, which is a huge relief! (I failed it the first time I took it, ugh!) I am one step closer to graduating! I hope everyone has a lovely day & rest of the week. I’m off to Los Angeles tomorrow to visit family, and spend Christmas there. I’m excited to spend time with my twin sister, I haven’t seen her since our birthday celebrations in September!

In a little over 2 weeks, I’ll be on a plane making my way to MAUI! I’ve been once before, almost 3 1/2 years ago. {it’s been too long!} I’m ready to be by the ocean, drink a cocktail, get golden, and explore places I haven’t seen yet.

I have made a list of things that I want to do while I’m there, and wanted to share with you all {in-case you were curious or going to Maui & in need of some ideas}

1. Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm:

Who knew Maui had a Lavender Farm?! I didn’t! So this time, I’m going to take full advantage! I am excited to take some amazing pictures while I’m there! We are going to book a walking tour, and hopefully we will be able to have a picnic there as well. It truly looks gorgeous!

2. Haleakala National Park Summit:

Watching the sunrise is supposed to be a big hit! We were going to do this last time we were in Maui, but never made the time to wake up early and see the sunrise. Bummer! But this time I am determined to set aside ONE day to wake up at 4:00 am and drive to the top of the volcano. I live for moments like that, it’s what makes life so special.

3. Maui Tropical Plantation:

You’re able to tour this plantation to see how sugarcane and pineapples grow! Another good opportunity to take beautiful pictures & explore Maui. I’ve never been to a plantation before, so this will be a first!

4. Pacific Whale Foundation:

One of the top things I’m looking forward to: whale watching. I have never been whale watching before {which is weird because I live so close to surrounding areas that offer whale watching in Cali} I have always found ocean life interesting, I am so intrigued by whales! I think they are so majestic and mysterious, and I know I will scream when I see one! {it’s whale season right now!}

Have you ever been to Maui? If so, do you know any special places that I should go to or see? I would appreciate all recommendations! I cannot wait to take loads of pictures and share my Maui trip with you all.

Winter break is just around the corner & I’ve already got my reading list ready. I’ve got two Christmas theme books {which I’m super excited about!} Last winter (January 2017) I read “Christmas in Paris” while I was in Paris & it was beyond magical. Although I won’t be in London reading Anita Hughes’ new book, I’m super excited about it because I was in London earlier this year! It was such a beautiful city & I cannot wait until I can go back. {sorry I went on a little tangent} I just really like reading books set in places that I’ve recently traveled to! It’s so fun.

Do you have any books you want to read this winter? Anything you would recommend to me?